What started with eight kids needing breakfast in a school in South Auckland has expanded beyond the imagination of anyone involved in Breakfast Club Kids. What hasn’t changed over the course of nearly a decade, is the philosophy that has driven everything from the start. Loving children back to health and stability has always been at the root of everything Steve and the team have done and this will carry us into the future too. We can’t quite believe how much we’ve grown, and the raft of unexpected knock on effects that have come from all our initiatives. Bring on the next ten!
2010
Humble beginnings
The whole amazing ride that has been BC Kids started in Randwick Park School, a decile-one primary school in Manurewa. Steve was helping a friend get rid of some surplus school books and found out Randwick might need them. As he was dropping them off he mentioned wanting to help in other ways and on the 10 July 2010 he set up his first breakfast club, for just eight kids. This quickly grew to 70 children in 12 months.
2011
Wider community support
What started as just feeding hungry kids, soon expanded into other forms of help as BC volunteers spoke to children and found out what else was going on in some homes.
- A foodbank was started with support from Southmall New World
- St Kentigern College came on board with support in multiple areas
- BC started delivering donated appliances and furniture to families
- BC supplied cooking equipment and food to teaching classes
2012
Media Coverage
A small article in the national newspaper resulted in a big New Zealand company getting in touch
- The cooking class at Randwick Park School won a top Auckland award
- BC featured in the NZ Herald, in an article on the success of the Foodbank
- Hubbards contacted BC to offer support
2013
More support partnerships
As word spread further and media coverage increased, even more supporters came on board and BC started to incorporate other schools in a different part of town.
- NZ Herald published a 2000 word article on the BC journey so far
- With support from Rotary Epsom, BC’s first Sports Academy started at Randwick Park School
- BC supplied sports uniforms to students in the Randwick Park School Sports Academy
- Shoe Clinic Manukau started supporting BC with footwear
- BC expanded to Glen Innes School with 25 children in the first session
- BC also started at St Pius X School
- A Foodbank base was created at Glen Innes School
- BC hosted its first Christmas Banquet at Glen Innes School for 150 guests
- Eastridge New World became a major partner
2014
BC KIDS on TV
Things just kept rolling. The kids were even on TV!
- St Kentigern College and Auckland Grammar Sporting Scholarships were awarded to two students from Randwick Park School
- BC Sports Academy students took part in an Adidas TV All Black Advert
- South Auckland Christian Food Bank shared their support
- BC started at Glen Taylor School
- A Christmas Banquet was hosted at Glen Innes School for 600 guests
2015
NEW Wheels!
Riding around town delivering food, appliances and other help for those in need was starting to take its toll on the volunteers’ vehicles. Thank goodness a very kind soul stepped in to help with the now well-known BC van.
- BC van was donated by an anonymous donor and Empire Electrical
- Shoe Clinic Sylvia Park and KiwiHarvest offered support
- Hubbards sponsored signwriting on the van
- Polo shirts were supplied to senior students at Glen Innes School
- BC hosted a hangi for 250 students at Glen Innes School for Matariki Festival
- BC started sponsoring St Kentigern student, Te Ahiwaru, and supported his sporting scholarship
- BC hosted a Christmas Store for 200 families
The $1 Million Mark
Huge generosity from the community meant that in 2016 a total of $1 million worth of donations had gone directly to helping Breakfast Club kids.
By 2023 this total reached $7 million and climbing.
2016
THE BC FAMILY GROWS
Six years in, Breakfast Club had really gained some momentum – with a team of wider supporters just waiting to hear how they could help next
- Polo Shirts were donated for Glen Innes and Glen Taylor Schools
- HealthPak and ACCO offered their support
- $1 million in donations was raised
- Ormiston Pak n Save offered support
- Rotary Auckland East offered support
- BC sends team outreach team to Fiji
- $2000 of school bus expenses donated to Sports Camp for Glen Innes School
- $10,000 raised for Christmas Store that hosted 300 families
- Christmas Shoebox started and donated presents for 700 children
2017
More schools
The amount of support from sponsors and individuals reached a point where two more schools could be brought on board
- Tamaki and Te Kohanga Schools were added to the list of schools receiving support
- Sports bras were supplied for girls at Glen Innes School
- Sanitary products were received from St Kentigern for our schools, including Alfriston College
- $2000 of school bus expenses were donated to Glen Innes and Glen Taylor School Sports Camps
- Christmas Shoebox increased the number of presents to cater for 1500 children
- The Christmas Store added Mr. Whippy, bouncy castles and Cafe2U to festivities, we raised $16,000 to put on an unforgettable event for families
2018
Biggest Christmas ever
What started in 2013 as a dinner, was now a BC run Christmas Store where families could come, have fun and leave with everything they needed for a beautiful Christmas dinner, complete with presents. This year was the biggest, where we provided this for 250 families
- BC organised a fun run from Mission to St Heliers Bay for Glen Innes School students in February and August
- Over $3 million in donations was received
- BC hosted a CEO dinner for sponsors, with food and beverage donated by Hancocks Wines & Spirits
- DTR and Blackmores offered to support Breakfast Club
- There was a 500% increase in prizes for Glen Innes School at their Sports Camp
- Christmas Store hosted 250 families and 1000 children, $20,000 raised
- Christmas Shoebox presents exceeded 3000
2019
UNSTOPPABLE
In just ten years BC has gone from Weetbix and toast for eight children to a wealth of support for numerous schools and foodbanks. We can’t even imagine how many more people we can help in the next decade
- Henkle offers support
- Glen Taylor School enters Fun Run
- Polymers support BC
- ‘Staff Breakfasts’ start at Glen Innes School
- King and Queen of the Mountain run commences, sponsored by DTR and Polymers – six schools participating
- Christmas Store fundraising target $26,000
2020 – 2023
Emerging leaders
2020 – 2023 saw the emergence of New Entrants Initiatives, Emerging Leaders, Operation Attend (Truancy with Police) and the Christmas Event soaring to new levels … we have no idea what the futures will bring … but one thing is for sure … we are ready.
Here’s to the next
10!